Mission Adventure: Spring Quest 2025 with Luca & Nico – Part 8

Inspired by our actual adventures, interactions, and discoveries in Japan with kids — from birthday traditions to unexpected turns — crafted into a story you’ll enjoy!

When I woke up in the morning, the hotel room was still quiet. The curtains glowed with soft light, and I could hear the faint sounds of Kyoto waking up outside.

But my brain was already wide awake.

Because it was my birthday.

I didn’t know where we were going yet. Mama and Papa had kept that part a secret. All I knew was that we were leaving Kyoto, heading somewhere new, and the backpacks were already packed.

That could only mean one thing.

“A mission,” I whispered, grinning to myself. “There’s no way we’re not getting a mission today.”

Nico was still asleep, arms flopped over his pillow like a lazy octopus. I thought about waking him up with a dramatic “Birthday Blastoff!” announcement, but I decided to let him snore for a little longer. He’d find out soon enough.

Whatever was waiting for us, I was ready.

It was my birthday. And birthdays in our family always come with an adventure.

The Birthday Pick: Unlocking a New Level

By the time Nico finally rolled out of bed and got his socks facing the right direction, we were packed and ready to go. Mama zipped up the snack bag, Papa loaded the backpacks into the trunk, and just like that, the birthday adventure had officially begun.

But first, birthday rule number one.

The birthday kid always gets to pick where we eat.

That’s how it works in our family. Last year, I chose conveyor belt sushi. The year before that? Okonomiyaki with extra cheese and corn. Nico once picked a train-themed curry place where toy trains delivered your food. (He still acts like that was the greatest invention of all time.)

This year, I surprised everyone.

“I want McDonald’s,” I said, trying to sound casual.

Nico spun around in his seat. “Wait… McDonald’s? Are you serious?!”

“You heard me,” I said. “Today’s the day.”

See, we’ve never been. Not once. Not in Japan. Not anywhere. Other kids talk about it like it’s this magical place with endless fries, weird burgers, and secret dipping sauces, but somehow… we’d never tried it.

Until now.

Papa raised an eyebrow. “Of all the places in Japan…”

I grinned. “Exactly. It’s like a mystery level we’ve never unlocked.”

Nico looked skeptical. “Are you sure they have fries?”

“They invented fries.”

A few minutes later, we pulled into a parking lot with giant golden arches and a menu filled with things I didn’t recognize. We stepped inside like explorers entering a fast food temple.

I ordered a Kids Meal Burger and a melon soda. Nico picked the same. We sat down in a red booth by the window like royalty.

Nico took one bite and gasped. “This… is amazing.”

“Told you,” I said, sipping my soda. “McDonald’s is officially birthday approved.”

It was the perfect start to the day.

The Surprise Twist: A Mission Interrupted

The car hummed beneath us as we rolled out of Kyoto, birthday fries still warm in our bellies and soda cups wedged between the seats.

“So…” I said, stretching my legs, “where exactly are we going?”

Nico leaned forward between the front seats. “Is it a ninja village? A secret tunnel? Wait, what if it’s a bridge made of spaghetti noodles?”

Mama turned slightly. “Why would we cross a bridge made of spaghetti?”

“Because,” Nico said, “it’s my birthday next, and I’m taking notes.”

Papa laughed. “Let’s just say this one involves vines.”

I blinked. “Wait, vine bridges? Like the kind you have to balance on?”

Mama smiled. “Exactly. Wooden slats. Mountain cliffs. Ancient ropes.”

Nico gasped. “Yes. Finally! Birthday mission confirmed.”

I grinned and leaned toward the window. “We’re totally crossing it in one try. No hesitation.”

“You’re definitely going first,” Nico said. “I need to know how much it sways before I commit.”

And then… 

WHAM.

A jolt from the right slammed into my door, hard and sudden. No warning. Just metal on metal.

The whole car shook.

“Mama!” I heard myself yell.

She screamed.

Papa’s voice exploded: “Dude! What are you doing?! I had my blinker on!”

My seatbelt yanked across my chest. I froze. The world went quiet, but my heart was still thumping.

We weren’t moving.

We had stopped.

I didn’t know what had hit us or why, just that something had.

I turned my head slowly.

Nico was staring at me, eyes wide, mouth open like he couldn’t decide if he should speak or not.

I tried to say something.

But the words weren’t ready yet.

It was my birthday.

And suddenly… nothing felt like it was supposed to.

After the Hit: The Mission We Didn’t Choose

No one said anything at first.

Just the sound of the blinker still clicking.

Click… click… click…

I sat frozen, my hands on the edge of my seat. The air inside the car felt thick, like the whole world had paused, but my heart hadn’t gotten the message.

Papa unbuckled and stepped out fast.

“Dude!” he yelled. “What are you doing?! I had my blinker on!”

Mama turned around, her eyes wide. “Luca. Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, but it came out too fast. “I… I don’t think so.”

She looked me over like she was checking for invisible cracks. “Can you move everything?”

I nodded. My shoulder hurt where the seatbelt caught me, but nothing felt broken.

Nico let out a shaky breath beside me. “Well,” he whispered, “that was not part of the mission.”

He was still holding his melon soda like it was the only stable thing left in the car.

“You okay?” I asked.

He nodded, slowly. “I mean… I spilled a little soda. But I’m alive.”

Mama reached back and squeezed my hand, her thumb tapping lightly against my skin like it was counting seconds.

We weren’t going to any vine bridge now.

This mission… wasn’t going the way I thought it would.

Change of Plans: A New Base in Kochi

The car had to be towed, so we loaded our bags into a taxi. The backseat felt smaller than before. Or maybe I just felt bigger in all the wrong ways, heavier, quieter, unsure where to put my thoughts.

We didn’t talk much on the ride.

Even Nico was silent, which never happens unless he’s asleep or secretly planning something.

When we pulled up to OMO7 Kochi, soft yellow lights glowed through the lobby windows. The building was calm and modern, with warm wood and wide hallways that smelled like green tea and clean air. The kind of place that feels like it’s trying to help you breathe again.

We took the elevator up and stepped into our room. I dropped my bag and sat on the bed without saying anything.

Nico flopped down beside me. We just lay there for a minute, staring at the ceiling.

“It’s still your birthday,” he said finally.

“I know.”

“You didn’t cry,” he added.

“Not yet.”

He nodded. “That’s pretty good.”

That night, we went downstairs for the hotel buffet. It wasn’t flashy or decorated or birthday-themed. But it was warm.

I picked rice, karaage chicken, and soft buttery potatoes. Nico made it his personal mission to test every single kind of miso soup they had.

“I’m officially giving this buffet a gold star,” he declared, balancing a slice of tamagoyaki on top of his rice.

After we finished eating, we heard something echoing from the lounge near the lobby, a soft clapping sound, sharp and rhythmic.

A small group had gathered. A few performers stepped onto the stage holding naruko, little wooden clappers used in traditional Kochi dance.

They didn’t sing. They didn’t need instruments. Just the sound of those wooden clappers, fast and cheerful, snapping in patterns that bounced through the room like a quiet kind of celebration.

I sat back in my chair, hands folded in my lap.

It wasn’t what I imagined for my birthday.

But somehow… it still mattered.

Not because of the mission we missed.

But because of the people sitting beside me.

And the quiet rhythm that said: we’re still here.

Bullet Train Backup: A Birthday in Motion

The next morning, the light through the curtains was soft and golden. I opened my eyes slowly, unsure what kind of day it was going to be.

Not birthday day.

Not vine bridge day.

Just… the day after.

Papa and Mama had stayed up late the night before, and by morning, a new plan had already formed.

He slid some paper tickets onto the table. “We’re heading home. Bullet Train Birthday Backup… commencing shortly.”

Before we left, we had breakfast in the hotel dining room. The buffet was quiet, and the food warm and simple, steamed rice, eggs, miso soup, fruit.

And just when I thought the day might slip past without anything special…

A hotel staff member walked up to our table.

She smiled and placed a tiny white plate in front of me.

On it was a small birthday cake, just one slice, with a single strawberry on top and a little swirl of cream, like it had been made for one person and one very quiet kind of celebration.

It didn’t have candles.

But it had something better.

A note written in chocolate:
“Happy Birthday, Luca.”

I didn’t say anything at first. I just stared at it.

Then Nico leaned in. “I’m just saying… if you don’t want the strawberry, I will accept it as tribute.”

I smiled.

And let him have it.

We boarded the Shinkansen just after lunch. The train slid out of the station like a whisper, smooth and fast, and soon the countryside was flying past the window.

Nico decided we were on a secret mission to count every tunnel we went through.

“Tunnel one,” he whispered. “Tunnel two. Tunnel… wait, I lost count. Was that three? Or did I skip four?”

He started over four times and then fell asleep mid-count with a rice cracker in his hand.

I just watched the trees blur by, my face pressed to the window.

It was quiet inside the train, but even quieter inside my chest.

Not in a bad way.

Just… quiet.

Like the space after a story ends, when you’re not ready to move on, but the pages are already turning.

Papa sat across from me, reading. Mama was watching the clouds.

And Nico snored softly beside me.

I didn’t get the bridge.
Or the rope.
Or the adventure I had imagined.

But I got this.

A ride home.
A strawberry I gave away.
And a small cake I’ll never forget.

Until Next Time…

When we got back to Fukuoka the next evening, we didn’t rush into anything.

We found a pizza place near the hotel, ordered way too much, and let the warm dough and stretchy cheese do the work of cheering us up.

On the walk back, Papa stopped at a convenience store and returned with a surprise, Coolish.
My favorite.

He handed me one without saying anything.

And I didn’t say anything either. Just opened it, took a sip, and let the cold vanilla taste settle in my chest like something I didn’t know I needed.

It wasn’t my birthday anymore.

That had already come and gone.

And so had the trip.

Not with fireworks or a final mission.
Not with a finish line or a big goodbye.
But with an accident. A detour. A quiet end we hadn’t planned for.

I thought I’d be sadder.

And I was, a little.

But mostly… I was okay.

Because I think I learned something this spring, not just about samurai or secret bridges or shrine bells, but about what happens when things don’t go the way you hoped.

Even the best trips can shift in a second.
Even birthdays don’t always feel like birthdays.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t matter.

Sometimes the most important part of an adventure
is learning how to sit still inside it,
even when the story changes.

I didn’t get the vine bridges.
And our Spring Mission ended earlier than planned.
But I still got this:

Miso soup in a quiet hotel.
A soft bed in Kochi.
Naruko clappers echoing through the night.
Pizza with my family.
And Coolish in my hand on the way home.

The mission didn’t end the way I thought it would.

But maybe… that’s okay.

Some adventures don’t have big endings.

Some just leave the next chapter waiting.

Stay curious, stay adventurous, and keep dreaming!
~ The LuNi Travels Family ~